Typically, floating screed pavers comprise a self-propelled paving machine having a hopper at its forward end for receiving material from a dump truck pushed along the roadbed by the paver. The truck progressively dumps its load of paving material into the hopper.
A conveyor system on the paver transfers the paving material from the paver hopper for discharge on the roadbed. Screw augers then spread the material on the roadbed in front of the main screed. The screed is commonly connected to the paving machine by pivoting tow or draft arms. Accordingly, the screed is commonly referred to as a "floating screed".
Typically, the rotation of the augers and conveyors are controlled by a common source, which maintains the rotational speed ratio of the augers to the conveyors in a fixed relationship. In order to vary the rate of material that is carried by the conveyors relative to the rate of material carried by the augers, gates are placed in front of the conveyor system to limit the height of the material. Unfortunately, the gates are manually adjusted making it difficult to maintain a uniform depth of material that is deposited by the conveyor system.
Thus, there is a need to provide for independent control over the conveyor and auger to achieve a uniform depth of material. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.